You are over halfway through your pregnancy and the baby's activity and development are still in full swing. So is the visibility of your baby bump, your cravings for certain foods, and perhaps the beginning of stretch marks appearing on your hardworking skin. Perhaps thoughts and concerns about childbirth are also starting to arise.
Active and curious
You are certainly feeling the baby's activity regularly now. Perhaps especially when you want to relax or sleep? This is because you can feel the movements more clearly when you lie down, but also because your movements when you are active can be soothing for the baby.
The baby's hearing is not fully developed, but well-developed, and it is not unlikely that you sense activity as a result of a loud sound. At this stage of pregnancy, the fetus perceives high tones and bright voices better than low ones and especially listens to the sound of your voice and the sounds inside your body, such as your heart and lungs.
When the baby is awake and actively exploring its own abilities, body, and surroundings, it touches its face, body parts, and the umbilical cord. There is also time spent training and refining movement, which you may feel as kicks or punches from inside your uterus.
A body working overtime
You are definitely beginning to sense that being pregnant is hard work. Perhaps you realized this in the first weeks with constant nausea and fatigue, but now around week 22, you can start to feel and see clear signs on your body.
One of the signs that your body is working hard to adapt to the little growing life is stretch marks. They occur for many on the stomach, where the skin is stretched due to the rapidly growing fetus and uterus. At this point, you will have gained about half of the weight you will gain before giving birth. Of course, this depends on how you have been affected by nausea or cravings and on your physique and weight before pregnancy.
Another thing that is affected during pregnancy is your blood volume, which increases every day to supply the baby, whose weight and activity are constantly increasing. This can require iron supplements for many, and if you begin to have an uncontrollable craving for, for example, carrots, cabbage, apples, or chocolate, it may be your body trying to tell you that it needs iron. You can find this out together with your doctor.
Size of the fetus
The little fetus now measures about 26 cm and weighs about 400 grams. This is equivalent to the size and length of a regular beet. But despite its relatively small size, it can already start stretching the skin on your belly.
Advice for the partner
Your partner is now over halfway through the pregnancy, and it may start to feel more realistic and close that you are going to be parents. This can bring many thoughts and feelings for both of you about how life as a couple will change when you have a child in about 20 weeks.
This can strengthen your bond and you as parents when the time comes, but it can also be beneficial for each of you to articulate your thoughts and feelings, as perhaps you both share the same concerns or thoughts that can be alleviated by talking.
